THE PORT AUTHORITY OF NY & NJ

Press Release Article

The use of PATH QuickCards has nearly doubled since a new fare structure took effect on March 25. The majority of QuickCard buyers are paying $1.20 per ride, well below the basic cash fare of $1.50. Before the fare increase, 42 percent of PATH customers used multi-trip QuickCard tickets. For the first full week after the increase, multi-trip ticket use increased to 69 percent, and rose to 78 percent during peak periods. The World Trade Center, Hoboken and Exchange Place stations reported 75 percent of the customers using QuickCards on an average weekday. The Pavonia-Newport station also reported 72 percent of its weekday riders using QuickCards. Use was up significantly at all 13 PATH stations.

The basic one-way cash PATH fare is $1.50. Customers who buy an 11-trip QuickCard pay $1.36 per trip; and those who buy 20- or 40-trip QuickCards pay $1.20 per trip. Multiple-trip cards expire 180 days after they are purchased.

PATH Director/General Manager Michael P. DePallo said, \"This is very good news on two counts. It means that the majority of PATH riders are getting QuickCard discounts, and paying as little as $1.20. And passengers will be able to move through turnstiles a bit more quickly because QuickCard transactions take less time than cash.\"

The majority of QuickCard purchases during the past week have been 20-trip tickets, which represent about 56 percent of sales.

NJ Transit ticket vending machines also registered a significant rise in QuickCard tickets sold with a credit or debit card at the World Trade Center, Hoboken, 33rd Street, Journal Square, Newark, Grove Street and Exchange Place PATH stations.

PATH has also taken a number of steps to make it easier to buy QuickCards.

PATH began to sell QuickCards on its Web site - www.pathrail.com - last month, allowing customers to buy tickets from their home or office. Response has been strong with more than $30,000 worth of QuickCards tickets sold through the site since it went on-line on March 22.

New NJ Transit/PATH ticket vending machines that accept debit and credit cards also were installed in six of the more heavily used stations to supplement existing QuickCard machines.

PATH customers also can buy QuickCards at internet kiosks provided by Transcom-GSPlanet. The kiosks at PATH stations at Journal Square, the World Trade Center, and 33rd Street had more than 12,000 users in February.

In addition, QuickCards are available from 16 vendors located at stations on the PATH system.